Hope High School
by L'hopital
Summary: Hajime Hinata—The prospective Ultimate Hope, decides to turn down the operation, and instead, transfers to a nearby school, Hope High School. Despite the cheesy name, Hope High School seems to be the perfect place for Hinata to enjoy a peaceful, normal life. But how can he when he finds himself caught up in gang warfare and in conflicts at Hope's Peak? Disclaimer: Love Triangle.
1. Hinata — Goodbye?

**I. Hinata - Goodbye?**

Hope's Peak Academy… It is said that graduating from this school guarantees one success in the future. And here I am, giving up the opportunity of a lifetime, giving up my biggest shot at a bright future, as an average nobody.

Hope. They promised I would embody it. They told me that I was going to serve as the vessel for their hope, the school's hope, the world's hope. How selfish of me is it then, to forsake the interest of humanity?

But, it was not all for nothing, I thought as I walked out of the room, away from the sneers of the Steering Committee. There's something I need to do before I go.

I rushed down the stairs, toward our meeting place. School had been over for a while; I prayed she was still waiting for me. I rounded the corner, my head filled with pleas to every divine being I knew, any would suffice. Lost in my thoughts, I barely had enough time to avoid colliding with another student, twisting my body so that I would instead fall pathetically at her feet.

The girl was wearing a plain white blazer and a short gray skirt which was not performing its duties very well. What was a Reserve Course student doing at school still?

"I'd never thought you'd be one to cut class." Her arrogant tone, commanding stance, and icy stare… I would recognize her anywhere. Natsumi Kuzuryu, this otherwise cute girl was more often than not, troublesome, and a nuisance.

I sighed. White was somehow a fitting color for her, and I may have held my gaze there longer than necessary. Regardless, her expression didn't change— she either didn't notice or didn't care. I slowly got back on my feet and faced her.

"What do you want, Kuzuryu?" I asked, trying not to let my exasperation with her show on my face.

"Hmph, you're awfully gloomy, today." Her eyes bore into mine. "I was just curious. I thought, maybe you gave up, that you were okay with being a loser like the rest of our pitiful classmates."

Her stare was piercing. I couldn't break eye contact, and I couldn't hide anything from her. She was the yakuza's daughter, after all.

"… I'm leaving Hope's Peak. I cannot pay the tuition."

She frowned. Was it just me or did she look disappointed, even slightly? I was her only friend — if we could call it that — after all.

"Heh." She burst out in obnoxious laughter. "That was expected. At least you know your place. I can't say the same for everyone else."

She raised her hand to touch her face, and that's when I noticed it: striking gashes across her cheek and dried blood on her knuckles.

"What happened?" I asked, horrified. I already knew the answer before Kuzuryu opened her mouth.

She smirked. "I pummeled Sato, beat the shit out of that bitch," she declared proudly.

"You did what?"

Kuzuryu continued on despite my interjection, "Took you long enough to notice. I wonder where you were looking." She tugged at the edges of her skirt.

Blood rushed to my cheeks. I simply stared back her, without responding.

"Anyway, you can't fault me. She was asking for it. She attacked me first."

I was speechless. Once again, I was powerless to stop them, even though I knew Sato and Kuzuryu despised each other. "Was it about your former classmate?" I finally managed to ask, though I already knew the answer.

"Sato attacked me after I told her she was clinging to Koizumi like a piece of toilet paper to a shoe. She clawed at my face with her sharp-ass nails for telling the truth. She's a parasite but can't come to terms with it. Seriously pisses me off. What a fucking shithead!"

I didn't know what to say, and Kuzuryu took it as an invitation to continue insulting Sato. I looked away from her, frustrated at my inaction and my uselessness.

"You know," Kuzuryu almost whispered to me. It took me a second to process that she was no longer screaming vulgarities. "I might get expelled for this…"

I had to comfort her but I didn't know; as much as she was the perpetrator, she was also the victim. She was misunderstood — she was so much like me. Her talents were no match for her ambitions, and she was unable to accept that.

"I just wanted to get into the Main Course; I wanted to be able stand with my brother, the Super High School Level Yakuza. How can I, if I'm not even —"Kuzuryu broke into tears; it was the first time I saw her in this state. Seeing her this demoralized, so different from her usual proud self, hurt me. I barely knew her and yet, my heart was breaking.

How can I show her I understand what she's feeling? That I felt the same emotions that she did. That she wasn't alone. That talent wasn't everything…

I grabbed her shoulders and pulled her into an embrace. It was embarrassing but that didn't matter now. "Let me go," she said softly, but I ignored her and pulled her even closer. She didn't protest.

"I understand, Kuzuryu, I understand so much it hurts. Talent —" my voice broke off and I clenched my teeth to suppress the tears.

"Talent isn't everything. Your brother, he will definitely let you stand with him, simply because you're his sister. How can talent be more important than familial bonds?"

Kuzuryu shoved me away. I managed to glance at her face as I fell; she wasn't angry as I expected her to be, but rather she looked distant.

"Bye," she said curtly. No "see you later" or "take care" or any longwinded parting words. It was a fitting final exchange between two individuals who knew little about each other and who were barely, if even, friends. Kuzuryu walked away briskly then broke into a run.

"Goodbye, Kuzuryu," I replied, though there was no way she heard me.

I walked toward the fountain, downcast. The sky, lit red by the setting sun contributed to my gloomy mood. Expecting nothing, I strolled pass the fountain and glanced at the all-too-familiar bench.

"Nanami?" There she was, lying on the bench, playing Gala Omega as usual. I was unreasonably glad; it was not too late to say goodbye.

I sat down next to her. If she noticed me, she made no indication, but I didn't mind. I was content with watching her play…

"Was that your girlfriend?" Chiaki Nanami, the Super High School Level Gamer asked, finally putting the console down. Evidently, she lost.

My face felt hot. "No, it's nothing like that! She was just a classmate, that's all."

Nanami puffed her cheeks. "Well, I knew that much from your conversation. I was just teasing." She handed me a console, which I took out of habit.

* * *

"So this is the last time I'll see you at Hope's Peak Academy,"Nanami said, in the midst of the calming _beeps_ and _boops_ of the fighting game we were playing.

"Yea," I agreed sadly, "And the last time we'll spend gaming together."

"Huh?" Nanami looked at me, visibly confused and distraught. I took this opportunity to take out the remaining health bar of her character.

"It's nice to finally win!" I exclaimed, though any joy I felt was severely curtailed by the cloud of despair weighing on my heart. If there was anything I would miss from Hope's Peak Academy, it would be gaming with Nanami.

When I looked at Nanami, I instantly regretted gloating.

"What are you saying? Do you not want to be with me anymore?" Nanami asked, upset. She couldn't meet my eyes.

"No, that's not it. It was fun hanging out with you. You… you were my best friend, but I'm moving to another school…"

Nanami wiped away her tear, and smiled. "What, is that it?" she asked, giggling.

Nanami reached into her bag, and before I could react, grabbed my left hand and placed it on her lap. Surprised and thoroughly embarrassed, I turned away to hide my burning face.

"What are you doing, Nanami?!" I exclaimed when I felt something soft touching my palm.

She didn't respond and instead, cheerfully hummed a tune from what I presume to be a game.

After a few godly minutes, I felt her grip loosen around my wrist. "Ahh, finished!" Nanami announced, leaping to her feet.

"Goodbye Hinata, see you tomorrow!"

What was she talking about? "Ehhhh, see you around, Nanami…" I responded, unsure of what to say.

I looked at my palm. It was her phone number. She wrote her phone number and drew a large heart as well as a bunch of her favorite characters around it.

Anyone else would consider her actions to be a symbol of love, but I knew her better. She treasured our friendship above everything else. And yet, I couldn't help but blankly stare out into the distance and wistfully ask myself, "What does this mean?"

It was nighttime before I arrived home, and I couldn't bring myself to text her.


	2. Hinata — Small World

**A/N Sorry, I don't know much about Japanese high schools, so sorry if anything I write is inaccurate. Thank you everyone who has been reading so far!**

 **II. Hinata—Small World**

"Hope High School," I mumbled to myself. "Hope High School, huh."

A magnet school, Hope High School was pretty well-known for its academics, sports, music program, and reputation as the "Home for Hope's Peak Rejects." Before the Reserve Course was established, Hope High School's honor program was saturated with applicants wanting a better shot at being recruited to Hope's Peak Academy. Yet, funnily enough, not one student from Hope's Peak Academy was a former student of Hope High School.

I let out a deep sigh. I had applied to the honor program months ago, but I only recently received my admission letter in the mail. But, at that time, I was not particularly annoyed by the delay; after all, I was invited to Hope's Peak Academy under "special circumstances," months before I was actually admitted. If only I knew what was in store for me, I wouldn't have accepted the invitation.

Whatever… there was no point in dwelling on mistakes. The scary part was that I was almost coerced into partaking in the experiment. The Steering Committee constantly reminded me of what I could accomplish, as if whatever I was going to become was still me. They played on my insecurities, my desire for talent and a bright future, and my mistaken belief that the opportunity available to me was the result of my hard work. They had me bear witness to the aggravating normalcy of the Reserve Course and then, the extraordinary talent possessed by the Main Course students. I wanted in.

Using Talent and the Main Course as a lure, like a carrot on a stick, they almost convinced me to become victim of the unthinkable, to acquiesce to human experimentation. I almost would have, if it wasn't for Nanami and her teacher…

"I better text Nanami," I thought to myself. I had been putting it off for as long as possible; it was so embarrassing to recall our last exchange. I looked at my hand; the cute illustrations were already fading… It was so nice… her thighs were so soft.

I buried my head into my pillow for the twentieth time. I couldn't possibly text her without feeling embarrassed. "Tomorrow morning for sure, "I told myself, though I was not entirely convinced. For now, I had to fill out the paperwork to transfer to Hope High School.

* * *

"Out one school and in another one the very next day," I said to myself wearily. I was seriously a workaholic, or at least I tried to act that way. I didn't particularly enjoy working or learning but it was simply how I lived throughout my life up to this point.

"School, studying, exams, job hunting, going for walks, going to school, riding the train, lectures — the cycle never ends, huh."

I dragged behind me my only suitcase, containing all the personal belongings I had brought to Hope's Peak Academy. "12 hours to move out… isn't that a bit unfair?" I understood the rush, though. Despite the outrageous costs required to attend Hope's Peak as a Reserve Course students, it was competitive. Thousands of students were willing to drop everything at any moment to transfer.

At 5:00 A.M., I was rudely woken up by the roar of a vacuum cleaner and the screeching sound of intense scrubbing. "Hinata-kun," I heard through the cacophony, "I took the liberty of packing your belongings. I also brushed your teeth, washed your face, and dressed you… Sorry for intruding!"

Even in my groggy state, I recognized her—Yukizome-sensei, a teacher for the Main Course. Although… even if she was the Super High School Level Housekeeper, she could have been more considerate of my privacy. It was hard to get angry at her though; after all, she was one of the few bright spots in my experience at Hope's Peak.

No other words came to mind, so I simply uttered, "Thank you." _Thank you for not looking down at me, thank you for treating me like a human being despite your incredible talent, and thank you for believing in me._ I wanted to convey my gratitude—I should have—but it was too cheesy even for me. Besides, she probably didn't think she was doing anything special… I didn't have anything else to say so I quickly exited the room.

Standing outside the gates, I gave one last glance at the school that I dreamt of going to all my life. Goodbye Hope's Peak — you won't be missed much...

Same goes with me.

After a short 20 minute train ride, I was there: Hope High School, my best path going forth as a normal student. Having seen the impressive skyscrapers at Hope's Peak Academy, the homely two-story buildings at Hope HS were strangely comforting.

Following the instructions on my acceptance letter, I walked past the school gate, took an immediate left, and found myself in front of the school office. I sighed and turned the handle…

Locked. It was only 6:00 A.M., so that was to be expected. I turned around to find somewhere to sit but instead found myself making eye contact with a young-looking bald person in a suit.

"Here, I can take these off your hands," he said motioning at the sealed envelope containing the transfer paperwork. "I'm the school chairman, Koichi Karasuma."

He showed me around the campus, ranting endlessly and proudly boasting about the history behind the school. Most infuriatingly of all, he asked question after question about my experience at Hope's Peak Academy. Honestly, I was too tired to give him a serious response, but he didn't seem to mind that I was conspicuously not listening to his ramblings. How the chairman of a nationally top-ranked private school managed to be this energetic was beyond me.

"And hereeeee we are," the chairman announced, "your home for the next three years! I hope." I finally looked him in the eyes and instantly regretted it. His quadruple eyelids were seriously creepy. "Here is where you will be staying for the rest of your high school experience, assuming you don't drop out again…"

Does this guy have no tact? I sighed audibly.

"Yo, are you listening?" he asked, obnoxiously waving his hands in the confines of my personal space.

"Anyway, here's where we talk about payment," he said, shifting his hands nervously. "It's going to be 150,000 yen a month, hehe. But don't worry, our school offers financial aid and student loans." As if every other school in Japan did not.

"Um… normally at this point in the tour, I'd be talking to your parents, especially about these matters… where are they? Are they hiding?" He looked around me, like I had somehow been concealing my parents behind my back the old time.

"They are off on a business trip…"

I hadn't told my parents yet that I was quitting Hope's Peak and giving up the scholarship I was offered for the procedure, so I casually lied to Karasuma. I had some money saved up from various jobs I had in the past.

"Wait, you're Hinata, right?" Karasuma looked serious for once. "Never mind, forget it! Some higher-up at Hope's Peak Academy already generously paid off your tuition and room and board for your remaining time here. I wonder what you did to deserve that." And like that, he broke into unnatural laughter.

I was relieved but slightly off-put by the news.

Hush money… that was it, I was sure of it. They didn't want me to reveal the Izuru Kamukura project to anyone. I wouldn't have anyway, as they surely had less humane means of keeping me silent.

"Oh, look at the time." Karasuma looked at his bare right wrist. "I better get going then. I have another appointment. Enjoy your time here!" Karasuma handed me keys to my dorm before bolting off.

Did he give this orientation to every student, or was I special somehow? Either way, I was too worn out to care. It was 7:00; I had more than an hour to myself before school started, and because of Karasuma, I wanted nothing more than to sleep.

My dorm was a standard two-roomed complex, consisting of a bathroom and a living room/kitchen/bedroom. Pushed to the side of the main room was a single bed, which despite its small size, seemed to be a gift from heaven. I collapsed on my bed and before I knew it, everything went black.

* * *

I woke up at exactly 8:00 A.M.. if only there was room at Hope's Peak for the Super High School Level Alarm Clock…

Hope High School had a nice campus. Of course, it paled in comparison to Hope's Peak Academy, but it was nonetheless, nice. Map in hand, I found my way to the main quad. It did not take my breath away.

I was standing on a worn, paved road that broke off into two paths leading around an out-of-place fountain. Especially when compared to the rest of the school, the fountain was particularly impressive. Jets of water spurted one-by-one from nozzles that lined the perimeter, and the center piece portrayed an angel pouring water from a kettle into the bowl of a man in ragged clothing. Despite the grandeur of the structure, the benches surrounding it were completely unoccupied.

Behind me, I heard an eruption of happiness and joy and the volume of voices only seemed to grow. The students and my now classmates were beginning to pack into the quad.

Out of nowhere, someone knocked me to the ground without bothering to apologize. After getting back up, strangers from all directions bumped shoulder with me before I could find my way out of the crowd.

Endless chatter and laughter, a fountain surrounded by benches, and my peers actively ignoring me, how reminiscent. It was almost like I was back at the Reserve Course. But these people were even further below my level and it made the loneliness less bearable.

From the corner of my eye, I could see someone staring at me rather intensely. That was new. Curious, I found myself turning my head to see.

Rosy cheeks, a tight-fitting blazer, and no friends— it was most definitely Kuzuryu. She was postured rather provocatively and recklessly for someone in a skirt, with one foot on the bench she was sitting on and the other on the ground. Pink, I noted.

I was not in the mood to deal with Kuzuryu demanding personality, and I was self-conscious about our previous encounter, namely how I initiated contact with her without her consent. I could still avoid her before it's too late.

Too late, we made eye contact. I begrudgingly made my way to where she was sitting.

"Hi-na-ta," Kuzuryu said, emphatically pronouncing every syllable. "I just _knew_ you were going to end up at this shit-hole. After all, there's no way you can return to Kodaka High School and face your peers." She smiled at me smugly. Apparently, she was proud that she knew me so well… although I didn't recall telling her about where I went before Hope's Peak Academy.

"Same goes for you."

"Yeah, that's true." Kuzuryu caved in quickly and turned away from me. Expulsion. I could almost taste her disappointment in herself. I felt bad, but it wasn't my fault.

She suddenly grimaced and went pale as if she remembered something horrific.

"Also," Kuzuryu said quietly and somehow menacingly, "if you ever touch me so casually again…"

She didn't need to finish the threat; I got the message.

Downcast one second to glaring at me the next, Kuzuryu was a bothersome bundle of emotions. An awkward silence passed, but I was in no rush to continue the conversation.

Instead, I pulled out my phone and pretended to check my email. Well, I did actually check my email, but there wasn't anything to see there.

My plan failed horrifically. Instead of pulling out her phone like I expected, Kuzuryu just stared at me, only adding to the awkwardness. We weren't friends, why were we even pretending to be so? As strangers, it would be normal for us to say bye and leave, and sigh in relief that we no longer had to interact with each other.

No, I was being selfish. Kuzuryu probably wanted to be my friend. Most likely, I was more annoyed with her than usual because she reminded me of Hope's Peak Academy when I wanted to start a clean slate at Hope High School.

Though I came to this conclusion, I still had no motivation to start talking again. Maybe, I ought to get back to Nanami while our conversation was at a standstill.

 _"Good morning, Nanami,"_ I typed. My lack of friends and therefore, my lack of text exchanges did no good for the dexterity of my fingers, at least in typing.

"Are you trying to make a point or something?"

I glanced at Kuzuryu without saying anything. I was definitely still annoyed at her, even though I knew she wasn't the sole reason for my irritation.

"Hope you are doing well," I typed.

"Eww, you're so formal."

She was getting on my nerves…

 _"Anyway, Nanami, what did you mean when you said you'll see me today?"_ I hesitated for a second before hitting send.

"Is she your girlfriend?" Kuzuryu was all-out looking over my shoulder as I wrote as if it was no big deal.

"Jesus! Do you not recognize personal boundaries," I snapped, my cheeks tinged red from anger and embarrassment.

Silence. She just stared at me, probably fuming internally.

"says the one who grabbed my shoulders unwarrantedly," she shot back.

I looked at her, my expression softening up somewhat.

Yeah, that was completely my fault. I think I gave her the wrong impression… was she clinging to me because I showed her some attention?

"Sorry about that, Kuzuryu. I was frustrated with how things turned out at Hope's Peak and I took it out on you."

Another pause.

"What. You're totally acting out of character. Disgusting…" Despite what she was said, she looked more cheerful. "Anyway, I need to get to class."

She strolled past me, heading to the unimpressive school building behind the fountain. Too self-conscious to walk next to her, I trailed behind her.

Class 1-A, she was in the honors program as well…

Just my luck… I was stuck in the same class as her for 3 more years.


	3. Kuzuryu — Unforgivable

**A/N IDK I always envisioned Kuzuryu to be unnecessarily poetic, or at least brooding.**

 **III. Kuzuryu — Unforgivable**

"Unforgivable, unforgivable, unforgivable," I chanted to myself, almost trance-like. I've been repeating myself for so long that my tongue went numb, and to the words I have been tirelessly reciting, I became numb.

That nerve, that nerve that nerve that nerve that nerve that nerve that nerve that nerve that nerve. What nerve he had, that Reserve Course boy, who wasn't worth a dime to the ever-growing Kuzuryu Clan and by extension to me, who was simply an inconsequential speck just like the other pawns.

Why did his words move me so much? How did his shameless embrace, his casual invasion of privacy, have such a large effect on me, someone who stood legions above him, someone whose mind was set on bigger and greater things? I wanted to be in the Main Course, I wanted to be in it so much that it hurt. My near-confirmed expulsion condemned me to be untalented scum for eternity, someone unfit to stand with my brother.

Did I appear weak? Was I so pitiful that a person of his caliber felt compelled to cheer me up, to latch his despicable arms around me, to drag me down to the same level as he? The scary part was that he did manage to comfort me, in more ways than one. Somehow I became content with mediocrity. I just didn't want to be left behind; he promised I could keep up with my brother and inspired hope in a future outside the Main Course, hope that wasn't there before. Somehow he elevated himself in my mind, seemingly becoming a person I could rely on, whose shoulder to lean on, with whom I could continue living on. How I was that gullible terrified me.

What was I saying? What was wrong with me? I was forsaking the meaning of my existence, forsaking my duty as the yakuza's daughter, forsaking my devotion to my brother.

"Unforgivable, Unforgivable."

Sato was the one to blame.

It wasn't my fault. She wanted to kill me. I had been in enough gang fights to recognize that killing intent anywhere. Her eyes and her body language revealed everything. She had the eyes of a wild animal, her speech was garbled and unhinged, and she most definitely had a weapon on her that she was reaching for.

I did what I had to, all in self-defense. I couldn't die there, when my brother needed me at his side. That was my only purpose in life.

In a normal school, any violence could be covered up with of a snap of my dad's fingers. His influence had all the school administrators quaking in their boots. I could get away with everything, and I had all the teachers wrapped up around my finger. The pace of the class was dictated by me. They rushed to answer all my questions, clear up any confusion, and sped past content that I already understood.

But this was Hope's Peak Academy, and I wasn't one of their prized students. They had enough influence to deter even my father's aggression. I didn't want to ruin Fuyuhiko's prospects at Hope's Peak either.

I knew, deep inside, that everything up to this point was my fault. If I was so set on being with my brother for eternity, I shouldn't have jeopardized my chances. I provoked Sato. At her boiling point, I didn't run; my pride didn't let me. When I pinned her on the ground, I didn't stop. I wanted to demolish her face, and break all her bones for trying to challenge me. So I had it coming.

Being spoiled all my life, I lived without fear of repercussions. I even understood that I was privileged. And yet, it was too much of a change to go from being top of the class to an object of contempt, a glorified serf for Hope's Peak.

Hinata saved me didn't he? I was probably going to isolate myself, and let my emotions ferment until I couldn't contain them. I was going to wallow in the depths of despair and self-pity...

Ha, that nobody saving me, I scoffed at the idea. How could I even let that thought run through my head? What was I going to do now? How could I even face my brother?

"Unforgivable, Unforgivable." it was my voice, but I couldn't feel my lips moving.

The unforgivable one was me.

* * *

Having nothing to do and slightly curious, I decided to look into Hinata. He promised me that my life wasn't over. I would just have to hold him to that. Let him take responsibility for making a reckless promise like that to me.

I pulled out my phone. Punching in the numbers was second nature to me. Hardly a ring passed before it was answered on the other end.

"Hey, Dad," I said casually. I'm sure he knew I wanted something; the only reason I'd contact him was for a favor. "I want someone to trail a classmate of mine, Hajime Hinata." I read off the school's address and his dormitory number.

There was a brief pause, before a gruff voice greeted my ears.

"Hope's Peak Academy security is not easy to breach, especially under such a short notice… you know the only person I could ask is Peko, whom you could have easily asked yourself."

I despised Peko, and my father knew that. Why was he being so unreasonable? Yet, at this point, I was unusually desperate enough to ask for favors from her. "… I need to know about him, where he lives, what school he went to before Hope's Peak, and as much personal information as possible. Please relay my orders to her."

A grunt of affirmation.

"Also," I said, trying not to let any of my emotions seep through, "I'm quitting Hope's Peak Academy. I'll let you know tomorrow which school I wish to transfer to." I didn't want to reveal the details about the incident with Sato, because if he knew, it would be problematic and at the expense of Fuyuhiko.

"WHAT?" My father, who was for the most part cold and unemotional, bellowed through the phone, evidently shocked. "YOU'RE QUITTING?"

"Why are you so surprised? You know I'm a quitter. When something bores me, I just quit… And you call yourself my dad."

My father sighed and in a meeker voice replied, "but not when you're passionate about something. And you seemed so... excited to go to the same school as Fuyuhiko."

"Bye," I said hanging up before he could return the gesture.

Putting the phone down, I realized how tired I was.

I should go to sleep. There was nothing to do anyway. I didn't want to be alone with my thoughts.

I closed my eyes.

* * *

I dreamed about Hinata, which is to say I had a nightmare. I had no agency in my dream, someone else was controlling my movements and I was just along for the ride.

 _It was late into the day. The sky was red. I was standing at the gate of Hope's Peak Academy, waiting, when I saw someone pass by. He was hot. The sleeves of his uniform couldn't hide his bulging muscles and his face was well-structured. He had a nice sharp chin, his eyes were undeniably attractive, alluring, mysterious, and his lips looked so soft._

" _Hi-na-ta," I called to him cheerfully, emphatically enunciating every syllable. Apparently, it was Hinata, though he looked nothing like his real life counterpart. "Jeez, you made me wait for soooooooo long. I missed you." I felt myself pouting._

 _He turned and winked at me seductively. This dream was already uncomfortable enough. With every ounce of might, I tried to resist the inevitable. Hinata's arms were already coming. They were wrapping around my back. I felt myself snuggle against his firm chest. It was so comfortable… I felt so secure…_

"NO!" I shouted, my body lunging forward. I was in my own bed and straddling my pillow. Cold sweat dripped from my forehead. I checked my clock. _5:00 AM._

"Did you have a good dream?" Peko asked cautiously.

"No, it was horrible." I replied as a matter of course. Upon realizing I wasn't alone in my room. I turned to face her.

Her face was red in embarrassment, and I was horrified. It took a lot to alter Peko's usual stoic expression. Was talking in my sleep? I quickly let go of the pillow I was holding.

"I gathered some intel on…"she began, pausing unnaturally. "…Hinata as per your request."

"Hinata Hajime— 17 year old male born on January 1, Blood Type A…" Peko continued to monotonously describe various characteristics of Hinata that I, for the most part, didn't care for.

"Kodaka High School… Chiba Prefacture… " For some reason, the name of his former school and where he lived stuck out. I heard of Kodaka High before and I had considered going… it was a good school, yet something was strange. Kodaka High was located far from where he lived and fairly close to Hope's Peak Academy. He had no reason to venture so far from his parents if all he wanted was to attend a good school, as Chiba Prefecture was home to plenty of renowned schools.

Maybe he lived with a relative or something but otherwise, I could only conclude that Hinata had a bad relationship with his parents and chose to live far from them. Considering Hinata's pride and slight superior complex, there was no way he could show his face ever again at Kodaka High School. I ran through a list of nationally-ranked schools that I knew of outside of Chiba Prefacture. It was futile: no matter how smart I was, there was no way I could deduce which school he was going to out of hundreds.

"There's also this." Peko said, pulling me out of my thoughts. She took out a black envelope, with Hinata's name on it inscribed in gold, and I reached for it with as little enthusiasm as possible. Inside was a white and neatly folded letter directed at him. I was curious as to how Peko got her hands on this envelope, but that wasn't important now.

"Dear Hajime Hinata… after much review and consideration, you have been cordially invited to attend Hope High School… enclosed are a map and instructions for your first day."

They were inside the envelope. As if she could read my mind, Peko said, "Don't worry. They are only copies." I nearly forgot. While the Reserve Course was provided crappy black and white copy machines, the Main Course had access to revolutionary high-tech contraptions that were capable of copying every single detail of a page to the type of material used.

"Alright, you can go now." Peko gave me a slight bow before leaving my dorm. Now, all there was left to do was to call my father to be admitted to Hope High School.

It was scary how I decided to attend the same school as Hinata without even thinking about it.

* * *

Koichi Karasuma. From the moment I met him, he ticked me off. Drenched in sweat, out of breath, and somehow managing to be annoying as hell, he gave me a comprehensive tour of the campus, making sure to narrate whatever bullshit story he had about the school in painstaking detail.

I despised him so much, and I didn't mince my words. Yet, he acted like he couldn't hear me or register my annoyance with him and continued to speak cheerily about Hope High.

By the time he left, it was already 8:00 AM…

Using the copied map Peko gave me, I made my way to the central quad. Why was I so excited..? Seeing the main building, the fountain, and the loud nobodies didn't slow my pounding heartbeat…why did I feel so anxious..?

I was disappointed to learn it was because of Hinata. While staring at the bizarre fountain, I saw him struggling to escape the crowd of students. I sighed. Perhaps, talking with him again would clear things up.

Oh, he saw me eyeing him. He was walking toward me.

...

...

...

* * *

I was slightly peeved that Hinata did not bother to catch up to me, and instead followed me into the building. Well, that was fine too.

I could almost die of embarrassment. While talking to him, I was reminded incessantly about the dream I had yesterday.

"Hi-na-ta…" that was how I said his name. I stretched it out just like I had done in my dream, and upon realizing that, I was horrified. My irritation at his dream-self was redirected onto him and probably unjustly so.

…Perhaps, I overstepped my bounds when he pulled out his phone, but I was genuinely curious. Was he trying to give me the impression that he had friends?

A preposterous idea, but I entertained it anyway and looked over his shoulder. When he lashed out at me, for some reason, I felt fear, even though I did not feel threatened physically… It was quite a shock to me, and I was disgusted with myself.

At least he apologized. My pride would have crumpled if he hadn't. In any case, for now, I shouldn't act so familiar with him. Say what you like about Hinata; he was definitely not a pushover.

We weren't friends. I don't have friends, after all.

"Hey guys, wait outside for just a moment. I'll give you the signal to enter."

Lost in my thoughts, I didn't realize we were at out classroom already. I caught a quick glance of the teacher before he closed the door behind him. He had gray silky hair and seemed pretty young, but his eyes… they were gold and off-putting.

Through the small window of the beige colored door, I could see the teacher emphatically speaking to his students. I assumed he was giving some background on us, but he seemed way too into it. "Anyway," he said, the sound of his voice becoming clearer as he opened the door, "Please give a round of applause to your new classmates.

"Introduce yourselves please," he whispered to us as we passed him.

The classroom was cold and foreign, partly due to the hostile stares of my new classmates and partly because the A/C didn't seem to be working. I was used to being universally hated the moment I opened my mouth, but receiving this treatment prior to that was quite a surprise.

"Hello, I am Natsumi Kuzuryu." Tired from the events that passed during the day, I just left it at that. They detested me enough already, and I didn't particularly want to gloat about my own superiority.

Silence. I guess it was customary for one to perhaps talk about his or her interests, hobbies, or personality, but I really didn't see the need to share with the class. I glanced at Hinata to indicate it was his turn.

"Hello everyone, I am Hajime Hinata." Just like me, he didn't add any unnecessary fluff to his introduction, evidently much to the teacher's surprise and disappointment.

"Welcome, Hinata and Kuzuryu to your new class. I am your teacher, Mr. Yamaguchi." As if to demonstrate how a _real_ introduction was supposed to go, he deliberately emphasized his next few sentences. "For fun, I really enjoy reading literature, looking into new scientific discoveries, and talking with my students. I recently married my childhood sweetheart and we are expecting a child soon. My favorite color is blue." If he wanted to establish how boring his life was, he would succeed with flying colors.

Looking at our disinterested faces, the teacher returned to the matter at hand.

"Hinata, you can take the seat next to the window in the third row, and Kuzuryu, you can have seat right next to him on the right."

As Hinata and I made our way to our new seats, someone's hand rose. "Isn't the window seat occupied by Yamazakura..?"

Hinata stopped suddenly and I almost ran into him.

"What are you doing dumbass?" I whispered at him, annoyed.

Behind me, I heard the teacher respond. "Oh, Yamazakura… he dropped out just yesterday. It was pretty abrupt. He wasn't performing too badly."

Hinata finally continued walking and we both seated ourselves. I was grateful to sit next to him. Out of everyone in the classroom... no, out of everyone I knew, outside my family, he intrigued me the most.

"Hey, Kuzuryu…"

It was Hinata's voice. I was surprised. He hadn't exchanged a word with me since school started, and hadn't looked particularly eager to.

"Your introduction was far less abrasive this time." Hinata showed me a small smile before turning to face the board. It was nice, his smile, but he was definitely forcing it… I didn't want to be pitied.

As far as I knew, Mr. Yamaguchi did not know about my yakuza background, which was quite unusual. In my previous schools, the school administrators would rush to warn every faculty member... Well, Hope's High School was a weird school.

Yet, for some reason, I felt grateful of the fact. It was easier for me to avert my eyes from my failure at Hope's Peak Academy when treated as a normal student. Of course, I wasn't giving up. I just… needed a break.

School dragged on and on. I was awoken multiple times by nearly every teacher throughout the day. Using my family name as leverage over my teachers did not seem like a bad idea, after all…

Though I sat next to Hinata, we did not talk at all. He was frustratingly diligent with his studies, especially now that he was no longer distracted by the looming Main Course building. I hoped to talk a bit after school, but as soon as the bell rang, he was out the door.

Why was I even following a guy like him around..? It made no sense in retrospect. How could he live up to his promise… how could I remain a Kuzuryu if I didn't deserve it?

Perhaps, normalcy was fine for someone like Hinata, but for someone like me who is responsible for the lives of thousands of clans members, who needs to relieve a loved one of some of his burden, I couldn't afford to grow complacent… right?

To even it question it was unforgivable.

* * *

 **A bit of a slow chapter, but it's my longest yet. I haven't really decided on a set schedule to release chapters, but it would probably be once a week.**


	4. Hinata — Co-Op

**A/N Thank you everyone who left a review!**

 **Note about last chapter: The series did not reveal much about Peko and Natsumi's relationship. However, during the scene where Natsumi is talking to Hinata about wanting to be able to stand with her brother, she pictures Peko standing next to him. I took it that she was jealous of Peko and probably didn't like her much.**

* * *

 **Hinata—Co-Op**

Ding! The muffled sound came from my bag. Seeing the notification on my phone, my shoulders relaxed and my heartbeat slowed to a more reasonable pace. I had been unwittingly tensed up throughout the morning.

I didn't hear back from Nanami until my lunch break. So it was a little suspenseful to see what she wrote to me.

" _Hinata… you took so long to message me!"_ I could almost envision Nanami pouting as she wrote that… wait, wasn't the pot calling the kettle black over here?

" _Sorry for being ambiguous. I wanted it to be a surprise. I don't know what you school you transferred to, but if it's not too much trouble, want to meet at our usual meeting place? If you can't make it, I understand… I guess it can't be helped, the surprise will just have to wait until Saturday."_

The usual meeting place, huh… I don't really want to return to Hope's Peak Academy. I had nothing but bad memories and regrets over there, but if it was to meet Nanami, I could live with it. Also, wasn't she a bit pretentious to think I had nothing to do on Saturday?

" _Today is fine… I can probably be there at 4:00."_ Before I could put my phone down, I got a reply.

" _Yay!"_ Following her exclamatory was a red heart. My face burned.

I was definitely reading too deep into this. Nanami probably innocently sent me it to showcase her happiness, which was heartwarming and embarrassing in and of itself.

The rest of school day passed at a snail's pace… what was the surprise Nanami was talking about? Knowing her, it was probably something mundane… regardless, I was excited to see her again.

It was hard to concentrate in class, between thinking about Nanami's "surprise" and the not-so-sneaky glances Kuzuryu directed at me. Nonetheless, the bell eventually rang. I rushed out the classroom and headed toward my dormitory.

I dropped off my bag, took a quick shower, and put on more casual clothes. For some reason, though I had habitually met with her afterschool for a month, it felt like I hadn't seen her for a long time. After making sure I had my wallet, phone, and keys, I left for the train station.

It took 20 minutes but felt like an eternity. I spent the trip nervously tapping my fingers against my thigh. I didn't know if I could actually act as casually as I had before. Now that I was no longer a student at Hope's Peak Academy, my inferiority was only accentuated.

Hearing the familiar screech of the train decelerating, I headed toward the automatic doors and checked the time. _3:40 P.M._ It was only a five minute walk from the train platform. Yet, after taking a few steps, I felt myself breaking into a run.

Hope's Peak Academy was as breathtaking and anxiety-inducing as usual. The towering buildings loomed past the underwhelming gate, which walled off the talented from everyone else. I took a deep breath before taking my first step onto campus, a procedure I had reenacted every day.

Suddenly, I felt a tug on the collar of my shirt that forced my body onto the pavement. Not even a moment passed before I felt my assailer's shoe slam onto my back. Disoriented, I could only groan in protest.

"Who are you?" Without looking, I could feel the speaker's eyes boring into the back of my skull.

"Hajime… Hinata," I managed to get out, gritting my teeth.

"What business do you have at Hope's Peak? I'll have you know, I am the head of security here, and I don't take kindly to trespassers. "

"I'm visiting a friend," I was irritated. Even if he was the head of security, he didn't have to slam me onto the ground, just because I was no longer a student.

How did he even know? I had been walking back and forth through the gates every day for more than a month without receiving any second glances. But the moment I step on campus as an outsider, I get pummeled, by the head of security no less.

"Now, now." It was a familiar feminine voice that I couldn't quite place in my condition. "Juzo, don't go around starting fights with people you don't know… and get your foot off my student."

I felt his foot be reluctantly relieved from my back; however, hardly a second passed before a wad of spit was propelled onto the ground beside my face.

I wanted to destroy him.

Not wanting to remain in this submissive position, I quickly got to my feet in spite of the pain. The bastard was nearly a head taller than me, but personally, I didn't give a crap. I wanted to the wipe the smug look off his face and preferably wipe the floor with him as well.

Before I could take a shot at him, Yukizome-sensei stepped between us. "Juzo, please leave. I'll handle this," she said. "Now, it's somehow my fault," he grumbled before leaving.

I was somewhat relieved. Even in my incensed state, I could tell I was no match for him. Even so, I wanted to sock him at least once, despite the guaranteed bodily consequences.

"Hinata, you're here to see Nanami right? I think she needs someone to talk to…" Yukizome said cryptically. I nodded in response.

She stared at me, as if contemplating something. Finally, she spoke. "Hinata, please let me know if something is wrong; even if you are no longer a student at Hope's Peak, you're still my student." I was taken aback… only Yukizome could say something as unnecessarily sentimental as this. Plus, I was never her student, just someone she gave advice to.

"Anyway, I wanted to give you this," Yukizome said, procuring a badge-like item with the school insigma on it. "It's a visitor pass," she explained as she handed it to me. "It will allow you to wander on campus without alerting the security guards." I carefully placed it my pocket.

"When can I get it back to you?" I asked. She shook her head, dismissing my question. And that was suspicious. To a certain point, I could believe she was a genuinely nice person, but her actions didn't line up. She approached me alone out of the entire Reserve Course class to comfort me and to ask me how I was doing. Though I was grateful, I couldn't help but doubt her intentions. Was it just because she saw me interacting with Nanami? Did that make me different from my peers whom she actively ignored?

I felt guilty for burdening her, but I had a right to be skeptical, right? "Thank you and sorry about earlier," I said, bowing my head.

"No problem, Hinata. Just remember, I'm on your side!" She flashed me one last smile before leaving through the gate. "Take care of Nanami!"

Take care of Nanami, she says… Nanami was the one taking care of me. As much as I wanted to return the favor, she was a Main Course student; in every single regard, I was outclassed. With my head full of thoughts like this, I absent-minded found my way to the fountain. There, I was met with an unusual sight.

Nanami was asleep on the bench, gently clutching her Game Girl Advance in her right hand. I approached, very aware of her gentle breathing and cute murmurs. She was not wearing her usual cream colored hoodie and her uniform was somewhat disheveled, making her seem that much more vulnerable. It was rare to see her asleep while playing a game; usually, she was thoroughly transfixed on her game and oblivious to outside stimuli.

Should I wake her? She looked so peaceful… No, I definitely should wake her. Dusk was approaching. At this rate, she was going to catch a cold. I had to mentally steel myself before tapping her on the shoulder.

Her eyes shot open.

"Hinata! You're late." Nanami sat up straight and adjusted her uniform. "… I wanted to reveal the surprise, but it's kind of late."

"Sorry… I was held up." Somehow I was able to hate that bastard, Juzu or whatever, even more.

"Hinata, do you want to come with me to my dormitory? It's getting cold." Her invitation was straightforward and unabashed but I couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed. Again, I was reminded of how unusual and pure Nanami was.

"Sure."

She beamed at me. "Yay, you don't know how happy this makes me. I always wanted to show someone my room! Thank you."

I didn't know how to respond to the undeserved gratitude. "… It's no big deal," I finally managed to say, even though entering a girl's room _was_ a big deal for me. It just wasn't something I should be given credit for.

Nanami put on her backpack before taking off, running. Not wanting to be left behind, I chased after her. We ran, flying past innumerable trees and buildings of various sizes, ranging from big to very big. All the while, my heart beat rapidly. I was very much aware of the fact that I didn't belong. Though I still wore the badge Yukizome gave me, I was, nonetheless, hopelessly terrified of being stopped when we arrived at the Main Course dorms.

Luckily, my fears didn't bear fruit, and I eventually calmed down when I entered Nanami's room… until I realized that I was alone with a girl in her room. A few video game posters were hung on the wall, evenly spaced apart. Below them were shelves neatly packed with video games and merchandise. Looking closer, I realized she even color-coded the games based on genre and arranged them based on console.

Everything contrasted the middle of the room, where consoles, controllers, cartridges, disks, and other items were carelessly scattered.

Panting, Nanami said, "Excuse me, Hinata, I forgot to clean up, yesterday. Can you wait outside, please?" Wasn't she talking earlier about how much she wanted to show her room off?

I nodded before stepping out into the hallway. " _Maybe I should offer to help_ ," I thought to myself, awkwardly leaning against the corridor wall. She looked completely exhausted after running that short stretch. " _Plus, I probably look really suspicious standing inside the girls' dormitory."_ But I dismissed the thought. She would have asked for help if she wanted it. She definitely didn't want me to enter the room until she was ready.

Finally, after receiving several strange looks and chatting with a security guard, I saw Nanami open the door to let me in. She was in her sleepwear—pink joggers and a cute blue top that revealed her pale arms and shoulders.

Basically, the wait was well worth it.

"Sorry about that," Nanami told me, apologetically, "I invited you over… on the spur of the moment."

All the clutter in the room was gone. She put away all her consoles, except for two Game Girl Advances. I was about to sit down next to the blue handheld when she put her hand on my shoulder.

"Patience, young Padawan." So she was a fan of American media as well. "You must not be a dedicated gamer, because everyone knows you don't game on an empty stomach." She pointed at the kitchen table, which held two beef bowls and two pairs of chopsticks.

So that's what took her so long… was the surprise she had for me the fact that she was able to cook? Because that _was_ rather unexpected; I thought Nanami dedicated all her free time to gaming and wouldn't waste time preparing a meal.

Looking at my somewhat impressed face, she said, "Actually, I bought everything from the convenience store. The meat and the other ingredients were all precooked."

Oh. That raises the same question—what took her so long?

We ate. She looked as though she wanted to ask me something, but kept on hesitating and then saying it was nothing. I didn't know exactly what she was curious about, but I guessed it probably had to do with my new school.

"So Nanami… I started attending Hope High School… yeah," I said, awkwardly trying to start a conversation. She nodded enthusiastically. Spot on.

"It is pretty normal. I think I like it more the Reserve Course."

"Are you having fun? Did you make friends?" Chiaki asked me, way too enthusiastically, her face suddenly a lot closer to mine than before.

"Yeah. I feel a lot less lonely," I said, lying through my teeth.

She breathed out in relief, and I felt ashamed and embarrassed that she was worried about me. "Thank God…"

"Actually, one of my former classmates from Hope's Peak goes there with me… Natsumi Kuzuryu if you know her."

She went pale all of the sudden.

"Nanami, what's wrong?"

"No it's nothing," she said quickly… after seeing my persisting worried expression, she opened up a little. "I don't want to trouble you, that's all." she said in quiet voice.

"Did something happen between you guys?" I asked. Kuzuryu was an abrasive person; it didn't really surprise me much that she would antagonize Main Course students such as Nanami.

"Indirectly," she replied mysteriously. I wasn't going to push it, but I was still pretty curious.

"Anyway," she said, while looking at my empty bowl, "let's play!"

* * *

Nanami bought a new game… that was the anticlimactic surprise, but it was definitely fun. It was a Co-op game which was a nice change in pace from constantly getting destroyed in fighting games. The story revolved around a couple who worked together to survive the post-apocalyptic world, which was not entirely an original concept. But between the cheesy romantic lines and imagining Nanami and me as a couple, I couldn't stop blushing.

"If it's with you, I can do anything," Nanami said, reading the closing lines of the campaign out loud. Apparently, she was immune to embarrassment, having played through the game without ever cringing at the dialogue. We completed the story after five hours of nonstop gaming with me being responsible for every death and retry.

"That was fun!" Nanami said happily pressing her hands together. She reached for another game before stopping herself. "Oh… it's already midnight," she said dejectedly, looking at her Gala Omega-inspired digital clock.

"Yeah…" We both had school tomorrow, but it wasn't like this was the last we'll see each other right?

"Hey Nanami," I said while getting up from the ground. "Can we see each other again?"

Her smile in response was so bright that I thought I was looking at the sun. "Sure! Can you come again tomorrow?" she asked, excitedly.

Meeting every day was just a bit excessive, but how could I say no to her with that smile?

"Sure." Her smile only grew. If that was enough to keep her happy, I was willing to… the thought was too embarrassing for me to finish. I walked out of the room, somewhat reluctantly.

"Alright, see you tomorrow!" she said to me as she closed the door.

"See you tomorrow…"


End file.
